Bleeding Hearts
by Djinni of the Pen
Summary: What would Ozai do without Ursa? One-shot. Special thanks to Booter Freak from DA for inspiring this piece.


**Bleeding Hearts**

Ozai stalked the halls of the palace, the way lit by torches. Those flames flared as he walked past, stoked by his anger. He walked with purpose and deathly grace, his steps fluid and ready to strike. The night watchmen needed no warning. They practically leapt out of his way.

Ozai reached his destination and was ready to march through the open doors but hesitated at the sound of voices. He stopped and listened, waiting just outside. He heard the words but could only process the last sentence.

"...never forget who you are."

Ozai's fists clenched. Ursa. He had found her.

And there she was, coming out the room, hood up. Ozai stepped in front of her and she jumped at the sight of him.

"Ozai?" her voice was quiet, breathless. "I didn't-"

"What have you done?" his voice grated with tension making his words that much harsher. Fine; so much the better to let her know his anger.

"Please, quieter," she whispered. "You'll wake up Zuko."

He stepped closer, his anger getting hotter. "I will not ask again." His voice was dangerously low.

"My Lord," her tone switched to one of submission. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Light of Agni but she was beautiful. Not just in form but in mind. As devious as any of those old crones that sat on the throne and a worthy partner to himself. He let his admiration wash away under his temper.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hall. She yelped and pulled but Ozai's grip was a vice. There were no guards to see this and what matter if they did? They reached the first empty room he could find and, pushing Ursa ahead of him, he slammed the door behind.

The gallery. How fitting, he thought, that the Fire Lords of old should be witness to this.

"Ozai, what is the matter with you?" Ursa held her arm and rubbed it gently.

He regarded her for a moment. "Fire Lord Azulon is dead."

The words hit flatly against the walls of the gallery, barely stirring the grand tapestries that decorated them.

"By Agni..." Ozai watched shock spread across her features. False shock. "When did this happen? How?"

"When?" Ozai asked quietly. "It happened tonight. How? I was hoping you would enlighten me."

A play of emotions danced across Ursa's face so quickly Ozai might have thought he imagined them. She was always so good at hiding what she really felt.

"I don't know what you're talking about, my husband." Her words were cautious.

Ozai felt his anger prick. "You killed Azulon, Ursa."

That fake shock again. "Ozai, I would never-"

"Do not play games with me, woman!" he roared, and the tapestries fluttered, dead Fire Lords stirring in condemnation. Ozai hardly noticed. "You killed him! Confess it now or I'll rip it from you."

Ursa was silent for a moment, gauging his anger. Then: "Yes." Her words were so calm, so quiet after his shouting that Ozai strained to hear them. "Yes. I killed him."

Confession. What Ozai wanted and now wished he had never heard. Not from her.

"I killed him because you wouldn't."

The calm words struck him like a slap in the face. "I _couldn't_, woman. You knew that."

"'Couldn't' 'wouldn't', what difference does it make?" Ursa threw back, her own voice now tainted with anger. "In the end you were nothing but a coward, a lapdog licking at an old man's heels."

Ozai marched towards her, all death and hidden flame.

"And so," Ursa declared fearlessly, watching him come towards her. "It was up to me to do what needed to be done. I saved you from humiliation."

"You saved your son," Ozai replied, still walking slowly towards her, torchlight bending as he past by their brackets.

"I saved you!" she cried out. "Saved you from everyone that would always after look at you as the man Azulon ordered to _kill_ his own son!"

"I didn't want to be saved!" Ozai shouted back. He had her by the shoulders now and he shook her with every word. "Not from you!"

"Then who, Ozai?" she countered. "Who else was there willing enough to commit treason for you?"

Ozai fell silent. Who else was there? Who else did he have? In a few years his children maybe, Azula definitely, but now? With his brother so admired and his father's army of lackeys Ozai had no one he could truly trust. No one except Ursa. And now she was gone from him too.

What would he do without her? She tempered his flame, focused his ambition, and even caressed his ego. She was the perfect compliment to him.

"No one," he said finally. "There's no one but you."

His anger slid out of him, drained away to nothing. His hands relaxed on her shoulders. "And now I don't even have you anymore."

"I did this knowing what the consequences would be," she said quietly. "I'm ready for them."

Ozai squeezed her shoulders once more and closed his eyes. There was a fierce light in them when he opened them again. "I will have something from you before you go."

"What, Ozai?" she asked cautiously.

He kissed her. Long. Hard. Painfully.

She finally pulled away shakily. "I need to go." She breathed the words into him.

"You," Ozai asked quietly, "did this for me?"

She looked at him for a moment then placed a hand to his cheek. "Yes, Ozai. For you."

And then she left, pulling her hood up again and disappearing into the dark end of the hall.

Ozai stood alone among the past Fire Lords. _For me_. He left the tapestries to their dead thoughts.


End file.
